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Dalessandri names Winters as undersheriff pick

The Democrat running for Garfield County sheriff says the man who lost the Republican primary will be his undersheriff if he’s elected.

Tom Dalessandri says he has chosen Doug Winters for the job, after Winters’ narrow primary loss to incumbent Lou Vallario.

Winters, a Rifle resident, is an Eagle County sheriff’s detective.

“I’d only met Doug a few times over the years, briefly,” Dalessandri said. “I liked what I saw of him during this primary. I thought he was focused. He had good composure but most importantly he was professional and courteous and I liked that in him.”

Dalessandri said he and Winters also line up similarly in terms of their philosophies. Both have criticized Vallario for the growth in the size of the sheriff’s office budget during Vallario’s eight years on the job.

Dalessandri also served eight years as sheriff before being defeated by Vallario in 2002.